Sim City
Fangio To Bring Unique Pressure Style To Philly
For the past three seasons, the Eagles have introduced some defensive terminology that reflected the changing times of NFL defenses.
Terms such as overhang defender, fire zone and quarters have become part of the lexicon since Nick Sirianni became head coach in 2021 and hired two defensive coordinators, Jonathan Gannon and Sean Desai, well-schooled in Vic Fangio principles of modern defensive strategy.
Now that Fangio himself presides over the Eagles’ defense, get ready for another introduction to the latest league trend. This one pertains to generating pressure without blitzing.
“Sim pressures” are a longtime Fangio concept that involves blitzing a linebacker or defensive back but dropping an overhang defender – or sometimes an interior lineman – to maintain a four-man rush.
Sim pressures is one method of trying to confuse the quarterback by “simulating” a blitz without actually blitzing, and without having to play man coverage.
Blitz Lite, if you prefer.
Sim pressures have become the rave recently for blitz-averse play callers, and nobody employed them better last season than Mike MacDonald, whose sim pressure-heavy defense in Baltimore helped make the Ravens, by most defensive metrics, one of the stingiest defenses in league history.
MacDonald, who was hired after the season as Seahawks head coach, presided over a unit that ranked eighth in fewest blitzes but finished as the league’s No. 1 defensive DVOA.
Plenty of moves made by the Eagles this offseason – and two days of training camp practice – have already indicated that Fangio will go where many past Eagles defensive coordinators have dared not, using inside linebackers to rush the quarterback.
It’s not coincidence that all three inside linebackers competing for two starting spots – Devin White, Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean – are more comfortable making beelines into the backfield than dropping into coverage or chasing after flexed tight ends.
Dean was a frequent blitzer at Georgia, where he belonged to a two-time national champion defensive front.
White logged nine sacks in 2020, making second team All Pro, as a key piece in Todd Bowles’ blitz-happy defense down in Tampa. His 23.5 sacks since his 2019 rookie season is tops among all NFL inside linebackers.
Baun hasn’t even played inside yet in his career. He manned the edge at Wisconsin and spent his first four seasons in New Orleans rotating between special teams and situational edge rusher.
In Baun, Fangio sees a mirror image of his 2023 Miami masterpiece of transforming Dolphins linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel into a inside-outside hybrid whose career-best six sacks coupled with 69 tackles parlayed into a $20 million deal with Minnesota.
Going back to his days as Stanford’s defensive coordinator, Fangio’s philosophy has long been steeped in confusing quarterbacks with disguise and deception much more than harassing them with extra-man pressure.
Fangio’s influences, Jim Mora Sr. and Dom Capers, were preachers of the front-four rush, 3-4 defensive fronts, and backend zone to limit explosive plays, the latter of which also happens to be Sirianni’s philosophical preference.
After years of neglecting the secondary high in the draft, the Eagles finally attempted to strengthen the defensive backfield in April, using their first two picks on defensive backs and welcoming back Isaiah Rodgers from a one-year suspension.
But even with the added youth and athleticism, the defense’s success still hinges on a 33-year-old starting right cornerback and most likely a rookie at the opposite spot – not exactly the kind of personnel that entices a play caller into man coverage.
None of their safeties are an ideal fit for man coverage, either. So despite all the upgrades, Fangio has little reason to deviate from his typical blitz rate of about 20-to-24 percent.
Past Eagles defensive play callers have been understandably reluctant to draw up schemes that asked inside linebackers to blitz as the team’s inside linebacker corps has generally been composed of undrafted rookies, errant draft picks, and one-year veterans.
You can count one hand – and have some fingers remaining – the number of Eagles inside linebackers who kept a quarterback awake at night,
One of them is now an NFL head coach and another has a kid who’s a rookie fifth-rounder trying to live up this father’s legacy in the same city.
Jeremiah Trotter Sr. is one of three Eagles inside linebackers to have 3.5 or more sacks in the past 23 seasons, joining Jordan Hicks and current Teaxns head coach DeMeco Ryans.
But in Dean, Baun and White, Fangio has legit pass-rush options. He might even find a few surprises in the secondary.
In edge defenders Bryce Huff and Nolan Smith, Fangio also has archetype overhang defenders who are experienced enough at dropping into coverage that he shouldn’t have to worry about dialing up an occasional sim pressure.
You haven’t seen it very much from the Eagles lately, but get ready to remember what it’s like to see inside linebackers pressure the quarterback.
– Geoff Mosher (@geoffmoshernfl) is co-host of the “Inside the Birds” podcast and staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.
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